


Hidden Heaven

by LevixEren_ToTheEnd



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, But it's not Eren or Levi so don't worry too much, Character Death, Fluff and Angst, I know i said i would write it, I know it seems impossible due to Eren's situation but IT DOES, M/M, No Smut, Slow Build, Yes this actually does have a happy ending, and you would all feel sorry for me if i tried, but I physically can't, i'm sorry about that, story gets darker as it goes along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 12:45:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4565157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LevixEren_ToTheEnd/pseuds/LevixEren_ToTheEnd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren is a fifteen year old boy who lives in the village of Shiganshina. He is happy, living with his adoptive sister and his Mother. Except, he has a disease. One that will kill him before he turns eighteen, and...<br/>allows him to use magic.</p><p>Levi is a thief in the city of Maria, with his friends Hanji and Armin. He robs to survive, and to find food for the other children in the 'Undeground', a place where the homeless live in the city. One day, the trio decides the taxes are getting too high, and go off on an adventure to the city of Sina, where they plan to talk to Count Kenny, the ruler.</p><p>But what happens when they cross paths with Eren?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is VERY HEAVILY inspired by a JRPG called 'Eternal Sonata'. You do not need to have played this game to understand the fic, though. Also, I tried something new in this. Levi and Hanji and Armin are the thug friends :D Not Levi/Hanji/Erwin or Eren/Mikasa/Armin, but Levi/Hanji/Armin. I thought it would be a nice change, and I like the idea of it. I also tell you now that this fic contains bottom and top from both Levi and Eren, though Eren bottoms at first. I hate fics that imply the positions are exclusive. That is unrealistic, and irks me so much. And do not expect my smut to be amazing, lol. Seriously :P

“Excuse me! Excuse me! Please, come and try Shiganshina’s famous shina powder! The medicine is very effective! Please, give it a try!”

  


A fifteen year old boy named Eren Jaeger stood by his stall of shina powder, selling and encouraging people to buy the vials of medicine. Eren came from the village of Shiganshina, a village well known for it’s flowers, peaceful atmosphere, and the medicine that helped most of the world, shina powder, which originates from the village.

  


In fact, Eren Jaeger’s family were the ones who sold the medicine in the city of Maria, which was just a small walk away from Shiganshina. Merchants sold the medicine to cities located further away, such as Sina and Rose. Usually, his Mother Carla and adoptive older sister Mikasa sold the medicine. But, Eren was eager this particular day and spoke a long speech about how “he was ready to uphold the family honour.”

  


He was happy with how he had done so far - he had managed to sell about thirty vials of medicine in two hours. However, his happiness was only temporary. It always was.

  


Eren had a severe illness, you see - one that would take his life before he turned eighteen. That was the case for most people. The illness grants the person the ability to use magic - magic that could possibly cure other illnesses and severe injuries. But, of course, people of the world were stubborn and ignorant. Most of them believed that if someone with Eren’s illness - “mageceumia” - touched them, or used their magic on them, they would catch the illness themselves.

  


This was nothing more than a rumour, of course. But the people were still paranoid and stupid, which is why Eren was very careful to not reveal his magical abilities - people would most likely never buy anything from the stall again.

  


As soon as Eren reminded himself of his illness, and the fact that he, at most, had only three years left to live, he would enter a state of depression. Eren was a determined, passionate young boy. But anyone who had the fact that they would soon their life looming over their heads wouldn’t be very happy once reminded of it, either. 

  


Still, he was determined to do something good with his life, even if no one remembered him in the end. He wanted to help people, help his village, and he had a dream that maybe, he could heal people without being feared or hated. Unfortunately, this dream seemed a harsh way from reality - the people of the world can’t have their minds changed just like that, and for them to realise that people with mageceumia really meant no harm in the little time Eren had left to live seemed impossible.

  


But he kept dreaming, in hopes that one day, it could all change. Until then, he tried to stay happy with selling his village’s famous medicine. A woman with her son approached the stall, eyeing the medicine. “Does this powder reduce pain?”

  


Eren nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes , ma’am! In fact, it can help with almost anything. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it before. It’s quite well known.”

  


The woman chuckled lightly. “Actually, we just moved here from Stohess. It’s quite isolated from the rest of the world, so we had to rely on the resources there. That’s part of the reason we moved here, actually.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll like it here. The people are very nice.” _Except for when they fear things they do not understand._ “So, would you like to buy a vial?” asked Eren.

  


“Oh, yes, please,” replied the woman, handing Eren some gold in exchange for the powder.

  


Suddenly, a man flew out of an alleyway to Eren’s left, landing on his back. “YEAH, AND DON’T TRY TO MESS WITH ME AGAIN!” an angry voice bellowed, coming from the direction of the alleyway.

  


“Oh my!” the woman gasped, taking her son’s hand and gripping tightly onto the vial of shina powder. Eren rushed over to the man on the floor, kneeling down and inspecting him.

  


“Where does it hurt, sir? I can help.” Eren knew at the back of his mind this was was a very bad idea, seeing as all the people in the vicinity would witness his abilities. But leaving someone in pain was never something Eren could do.

  


“B-aaaa…ck.” The man spoke the word with pain and discomfort, concerning Eren even more.

  


“Okay, just hold on. It’ll feel much better in just a second, I promise,” Eren spoke in a soothing tone, rubbing his right hand on the man’s leg reassuringly.

  


Eren brought his hands up to the man’s chest, and he closed his eyes, focusing. A small, green light emerged from Eren’s hands, pouring onto the man’s chest and spreading through his body. After a few seconds, the light faded away, leaving the man a shocked mess.

  


“G - get away from me! Don’t touch me! I - I might have it now! Shit!” the man screamed in fury, rising up at lightning speed to run away from Eren. Obviously, he was better. But, of course, he didn’t show Eren any gratitude, he just became terrified, like most people Eren came across.

  


Eren, instantly regretting his decision to help the man, turned to see the woman he was selling shina powder to was holding her son possessively, shaking. She put the medicine back on the stall with trembling hands. “Whoa, Mummy! Did you see that!? He was glowing!” her son shouted, staring at Eren with extremely curious eyes.

  


The woman slapped his arm, casting him an angry glare. “Don’t you dare ever go near anyone who glows like that! Ever! Do you understand me!?”

  


The boy had obvious tears growing in his eyes. “B - but why, Mummy!? He was helping that man…”

  


“BECAUSE I SAID SO, THAT’S WHY!” the woman yelled, dragging her son away from the stall, but not before giving Eren a fearful look.

  


Eren mentally sighed. _I knew it was a bad idea. I should have just stayed home, let Mikasa and Mum handle it. At least the people at the village let me help them, and aren’t afraid of me. It’s always like this. Like that woman, people act nice, but once they find out about you, they become afraid, fearful of something they have no knowledge of._ Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes, but Eren, like the determined person he was, refused to let them fall. However, he knew it would be impossible to make much more progress with the sales after today, so he packed up the remaining vials and set off for Shiganshina.

  


How was he going to tell his Mother what had happened? She had strictly told him not to use his magic while selling the medicine. And now, everyone would hear of what had happened, and would be too scared to buy from the stall ever again.

  


_Why does this always happen to me?_

**2 hours before Eren leaves Maria -**

  


  


Levi, a sixteen year old boy, rushed down the street with a fair amount of bread in his hands, along with his companions, Hanji, another sixteen year old, and Armin, who was only twelve.

  


“HEY! COME BACK HERE WITH THAT BREAD!” The trio paid no attention to the furious voice of the baker lady behind them as they ran through the bustling streets of Maria.

  


Levi, Hanji and Armin were thieves. That was an undeniable fact. They stole bread from the bakers every week to feed themselves, and other homeless children they came across.

  


Yes, they were homeless. Because of this, they had to resort to stealing food and items, and they weren’t proud of it. But they did what they had to. They weren’t the only ones suffering on the streets. Other little homeless children relied on them for food, so it wasn’t like they could just stop stealing. However, apart from the fact that they had to steal in order to survive, Levi, Hanji and Armin managed to live peacefully. They had each other, and learnt to value the little things due to their time on the streets.

  


Unlike Levi and Armin, Hanji enjoyed the thrill that came from almost being caught. She whirled around the pedestrians gleefully, bouncing and -

  


“HANJI!”

  


She ran head first into a building, banging her head and kneeling down onto the floor. “Ugh, that hurt…BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER RIGHT NOW! LET’S GO! WOO - HOO!” Hanji immediately recovered from her fall, getting up like nothing happened, gesturing for Levi and Armin to follow her.

  


The two rolled their eyes, but followed after her anyway. 

  


“Are you sure this is enough bread, Levi?” asked Armin between pants.

  


Levi looked down at the bread in his hands. They hadn’t been able to get much food today due to the store owner arriving earlier than suspected, but Levi said that it should last enough until their next raid. “I think so. If not, we’ll go back first thing tomorrow,” Levi replied.

  


“Isn’t that dangerous? She’s usually on her best guard the first few days after a raid…,” said Armin, the ‘she’ being the baker lady.

  


“Hanji’s knocked her out before.”

  


“Which resulted in us having to escape from the town watchmen.”

  


Levi snorted at the memory. “If we did that before, we can do it again. C’mon, let’s just get this bread to the other kids.”  

  


The trio rushed through the bustling streets until they arrived at a little alleyway in a secluded area of the city, where the homeless children (and a few adults) lived. Most citizens had given the area the name ‘Underground’, and stayed clear of it. To Levi, Hanji, and Armin, however, the ‘Underground’ was their home. It was where they found each other, where they grew up, and the place that taught them good things in life do not come easily.

  


The children in the alleyway heard the familiar sound of footsteps, heads perking up and eyes shining when they saw the trio holding loafs of bread - not nearly as much as usual, but they would have to try and survive with it for a week. Hanji had already explained to them that going on raids every day was dangerous, after all. 

  


“Here you go, Petra,” said Hanji, handing a loaf of bread to the girl sitting closest to her. “I’m sorry there’s not a lot today, guys, but the baker lady was on the top of her game. Only one loaf each, I’m afraid.”

  


Armin gave the rest of the children a soft smile, handing loafs of bread to two boys sitting together by a dumpster - Gunther and Eld.

  


A child with shaggy, blond hair spoke up. “Aye, it’s alright, right, guys? Once we’re strong enough, we’ll be able to raid by ourselves!” he spoke, standing up and puffing out his chest with pride.

  


Levi chuckled. “Yes, Auruo, I’m sure you’ll be able to face the baker lady in person, one day. For now, though, just eat the food we fetch for you.”

  


Auruo nodded, snatching a loaf from Levi’s hand and gobbling a fair amount of it.

  


Armin squealed. “Careful, Auruo! That has to last you a week!”

  


Auruo grunted. “Fine, whatever, I’ll save it. Why do you get to go with Hanji and Levi Heichou, anyway? You’re a kid, too.”

  


Armin raised an eyebrow. “I’m two years older than all of you.”

  


“But you’re still a kid!”  


Hanji strutted over to Armin and Auruo, placing a hand on Armin’s shoulder. “He may be a kid, but unlike you, Auruo, he has brains.”

  


Levi, Petra, Eld and Gunther burst out laughing. “Sh - shut up! One day, I’ll be a top of the ranks raider!” yelled Auruo above the laughter.

  


“This ain’t the army, kid. Shut up and eat your bread,” said Levi, words holding no real malice in them.

  


“Fine.”

  


  


~

  


  


The trio stayed to converse with the children for a while before they decided to head back to their home - an abandoned underground shelter, not far from the alleyway in which the other children lived. 

  


They munched on their own bread, content with the silence, until Hanji spoke up.

  


“Did you guys notice that the prices have been even higher than usual lately?”

  


Levi grunted in acknowledgement. “Yeah. The bread used to be thirty gald, but just in the past week its gone up to 45.”

  


“Count Kenny is raising the taxes,” said Armin suddenly.

  


“Count Kenny? Isn’t he the ruler of Sina? How does he have authority in our country?” said Hanji, honestly confused.

  


“Well, the count actually owns the country of Sina and our country. He rules almost everywhere except Rose,” answered Armin.

  


Levi piped in. “How exactly do you know this, Armin?”

  


“I like to pick up abandoned books on our raids.”

  


“That’s so like you, Armin. How come I never noticed that? I would love to have a look at them,” said Hanji suggestively.

  


“I never told you because of that. You’d tear the books apart.”

  


Hanji pouted while Levi laughed. “True, that. But, anyway, if the prices keep going up, we’ll never be able to afford anything. It’s been bad enough our entire lives, but the way this is going, we don’t stand a chance,” said Levi.

  


Hanji jumped up, startling the other two. “We should go and speak to Count Kenny about the taxes!”  


Levi raised a hand. “Okay, let me tell you what’s wrong with that god awful plan. First of all, the Count wouldn’t just lower taxes because some bozos from Maria can’t afford things. Second, it would be a long trip, we have nowhere near the supplies. And, finally, we can’t just leave Auruo, Petra, Eld and Gunther here. They need us to survive.”

  


“Ugh, fine, you win.”

  


“Actually…”

  


Levi and Hanji turned their head to look at Armin, who joined in on the conversation. 

  


“…I think going to see the Count could be an option. It probably wouldn’t work, but it’s worth a try, right? There’s multiple villages on the way to Sina. We could easily stock up on supplies at every town we come across. And, isn’t there that other gang here who steal from the bakery often, too? If we ask nicely, I’m sure they’d feed the kids for us.”

  


“Yes! We could actually go and see him! What do you think, Levi?”

  


“Well….if Armin thinks we have a chance, then yes, I suppose we can try.”

  


Hanji squealed in excitement, pulling the other two into a bone - crushing bear hug. “We’re going on a trip together! EEEEEEH! This is gonna be SO MUCH FUN!”

  


Levi mentally sighed.

  


  


~

  


The other group Armin mentioned had agreed to feed the other kids until the trio returned, as long as they were given some of the bread that would be stolen in raids once Levi, Hanji and Armin came back. 

  


The three were now standing at the exit of the city, ready for their adventure. Together, they stepped out onto the soiled pathway, walking into the woods towards Shiganshina.

  


~

  


Eren walked with his head hung low and back slouched, repeating the moment in his head. He should have known it would end like this. We could never hold back when we saw someone in trouble, he always had to save them. And now, his whole village was in jeopardy thanks to him. That powder was what gave the village its fame, and now nobody would buy from that stall again…all because the citizens saw Eren use his magic. 

  


At the sound of a squirrel, Eren’s head perked up. He saw the creature by a bush, eyes darting around to asses the area. Eren knelt by it, reaching out his hand to touch the squirell. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?” he asked.

  


The squirrel stayed put and nuzzled into Eren’s hand, much to his delight. As Eren started to summon a beautiful, green light, however, the squirrel dashed away, leaving Eren on the verge of tears once again. 

  


“Why is everyone so afraid of me…?” he whispered to himself. Against his will, tears started flowing down his face, falling onto the soil below him. Even animals were scared of him. _What’s the point of me even being on this world?_

  


It was a question Eren honestly wanted the answer to. Why was he put on this earth, if this was the life he would lead until he died at the tender age of eighteen? A life where people were afraid to get close to him, afraid to touch him, just generally afraid of him and his power in general?

  


He sat there in his sorrow for a few more moments before he heard a snap of a twig, and turned his head around to see three kids standing in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaah I'm so glad that some people like the idea for this. I'm really excited for this story, as it's based on one of my favourite games ever with a few of my own twists. I can't thank anyone reading this enough!

Eren immediately stood up, looking at the strangers with cautious eyes. “What do you people want? Did you just see that? Are you going to hurt me?” Eren asked. It had actually happened before - Eren happened to be healing an injured animal he came across in the woods, and some strangers had seen him do it. They had beaten Eren up, screaming at him for being a “Poison to the earth.”

 

The tallest one of the three kids, the girl, spoke up. “Of course not, don’t worry. We’re not like most other people. I’m Hanji,” she said, holding her hand out to Eren.

 

He could hardly believe it. Since when were strangers so accepting of mageceumia? “I - I’m Eren,” he replied, shaking Hanji’s hand.

 

“So, you can use magic, eh?” asked the boy with the raven hair, approaching Eren and shaking his hand. “I’m Levi.”

 

“Y - yeah, I have mageceumia. Why exactly are you all in the woods, anyway?”

 

The young boy with the blonde hair spoke up. “We’re going to see Count Kenny.”

 

“Count Kenny? Doesn’t he reside in Sina? That’s quite a long trip.”

 

“Well, Armin here said there were a lot of villages on the way there. It’s not like we’re in too much of a rush anyway,” said Hanji, patting Armin’s head.

 

“Oh, then I assume you all are going to be stopping at Shiganshina first? That’s where I live.”

“Is that what the village is called? Well, yeah, I guess we’re going there first. Would you mind if we came with you on the way? We might get lost.”

 

Eren nodded vigurously. He had actually found people who weren’t scared of him and his illness. He wanted to make the most of the time he had with these strangers, even if he didn’t know who they were. “Will you be staying the night there, as well?” he asked.

 

“Yes. can’t exhaust ourselves at the very beginning of our trip,” said Levi. “Come on, let’s go. The woods are probably dangerous at night, and it’s already sunset. We need to get a move on.”

 

“Okay. Um, I guess I’ll lead the way?” said Eren, gesturing for the trio to follow him. 

 

Hanji and Levi spoke in quite voices for the next few minutes, Eren leading them and staying silent until he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down to see the boy named Armin and smiled. “Oh, hi, Armin. What’s up?”

 

“I - I was wondering if you could show me some magic? I - I mean it’s okay i - if you don’t want to, I - I’ve just never really seen it before, and-”

 

“Okay, sure.” Eren honestly didn’t mind doing magic in front of people that weren’t afraid of it. He quite enjoyed using it, too - the only downside of having the ability was that most of the world population feared you. And the fact that you would die before you turned eighteen, but Eren preferred not to think about that. 

 

Armin’s face lit up. “Really!? Oh, thank you! I’m so interested in magic. I’ve read all about it in some old books, so I know that only people with magec-” Armin cut himself off, releasing what he was about to say.

 

“It’s okay, really. I’m used to the fact I have the illness. You don’t need to refrain from mentioning it around me.”

 

“O - okay, then. Well, I know only people with mageceumia can use it, and that it can be used for all sorts of things. Healing, self - protection, and sometimes fighting, too. I saw the green light you summoned when you were with that squirrel. It was so interesting! Books nowadays just say bad things about the person using it, but Levi and Hanji taught me it’s no harm. I hate to think that most of the world is afraid of you…”

 

“I know, I hate it too. In fact, that’s one of the things I’ll never get used to. But you wanted me to show you some magic, right? Here,” said Eren, forming a little flame on the palm of his hand. Though he was pleased by Armin’s excited reaction, he couldn’t help but be curious. Why was it that Levi and Hanji were different from the rest of most people he came across? 

 

“Wow…” whispered Armin, watching the flame with admiration. “I wish I could do something like that…”

  
“Yeah, it would be nice if everyone could do this, couldn’t it? Just be grateful you can’t do this, actually. You wouldn’t have a lot of time to live,” said Eren.

 

“O - oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to….”

 

“Armin, I already told you that it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about offending me, or anything like that.”

 

“Okay, then. Thank you for showing me that,” said Armin, a light blush on his cheeks.

 

Eren chuckled and ruffled his hair. “No problem. I enjoy using my magic. When no one hates me for it, anyway.”

 

“Hey, Armin! You’re not bothering that kid too much, are you?” called Levi.

 

“K - kid!? You hardly look much older than me!” said Eren defensively.

 

“Well, still. How old are you, anyway?”

 

“Fifteen,” Eren answered. “What about you?”

 

“Me and crazy here are sixteen,” said Levi, gesturing from him to Hanji, “and Armin is twelve.”

 

“Well, you’re certainly bright for a twelve year old,” said Eren to Armin, smiling softly. “And, no, he wasn’t bothering me. I was just showing him some magic.”

 

“Oh? Okay. Thank you for helping us, by the way. We appreciate it.”

 

Eren snorted. “What is it?” asked Levi with confused expression on his face.

 

“You just don’t seem like the kind of person that thanks people.”

 

“Oh, I’m so offended,” said Levi jokingly.

 

“I can understand where Eren’s coming from, though. You seem to have a permanent scowl on your face,” mused Hanji. 

 

Now Levi really was offended. “ _What_?”

 

“See!? There it is!” Hanji cackled, pointing at the scowl on Levi’s face. 

 

“Tch. Whatever,” replied Levi, crossing his arms and turning his head to the side.

 

“Hehe. You’re funny,” said Eren.

 

“And you’re a brat.”

 

“No he’s not, Levi. You’re just a grump,” said Hanji, throwing her arm around Levi’s shoulder.

 

Eren laughed harder than he had in a while. Even though he had only known these people for a little while, he felt safe, happy with them, and he was going to make the most of the time he had with them.

 

~

 

“Well, we’re here.”

 

Eren, Levi, Hanji and Armin walked under the sign reading “Shiganshina - Origin of Shina powder”.

“So, where’s the inn?” asked Levi.

 

Eren came to a sudden realisation, his heart dropping in his chest. “I forgot…we don’t have an inn here.” Great. Now his new friends would have to leave earlier. _Is it really too much to ask to have new friends?  
_

“Oh no…we can’t leave here, anyway. The pathway beyond here is dangerous during night time. There are boars and other dangerous animals,” said Armin.

“Ugh, what are we supposed to do now? Eren, do you know any other places we could stay?” piped in Hanji, looking around the village.

 

“I…suppose you could stay at my place, if that’s alright with you all.” _Please please please…_

 

“Is there really enough room for three more there?” said Levi, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Well, we have an extra bedroom with a king - sized bed, and I’m pretty sure we have some sleeping bags, too. If my Mum’s alright with it, there’ll be enough room for you guys.”

 

Levi considered Eren’s words for a moment. “Okay, then.”

 

_Yes!_

 

Eren led the trio to his house, walking across the bridge that overlooked a narrow river that split the village in two. He let himself in, gesturing for the other three to follow him inside. “Mum, I’m home!”

 

Eren’s Mother emerged from the kitchen into the hallway. “Welcome home, Eren. Who are these people?”

 

Eren couldn’t help the slight blush that formed on his cheeks. “They’re…they’re my new friends.”  


Carla beamed at Levi, Hanji and Armin. “How lovely. How did you meet Eren? I’m Carla, by the way.”

 

“We’re going to see Count Kenny. We came across Eren in the woods, and he helped us come here. He even showed me some magic!” exclaimed Armin, grinning excitedly.

 

Carla could hardly believe it. Strangers that were not afraid of Eren? No wonder Eren seemed so happy. “So, Mum, I was wondering if they could stay the night in the guest bedroom? There’s no inn here, and outside is dangerous at night.”

 

Carla wasted no time in nodding. “Of course. You three, the bedroom is just past there, second door on the right.”

 

“Thank you, ma’am,” the trio said in unison, heading to the bedroom.

 

Eren then suddenly realised he needed to tell his Mother about the incident at Maria. He had had so much fun with Levi, Hanji and Armin that he forgot about it. But now there was no escaping it. “Mum, can I talk to you for a sec?” asked Eren, him and Carla walking to the kitchen and placing his bag of Shina powder on the table.

 

“Sure. How did your first day of selling Shina powder go, sweetie?”

 

“That’s actually what I need to talk to you about. When I was at Maria today, I saw someone get hurt in front of the stall, and…”

 

Carla’s gaze softened. She knew her son better than he knew himself, and she knew Eren could never turn a blind eye to an injured person. “You used your magic, didn’t you?”

 

“I’m so sorry, Mum! No one’s ever going to buy from the stall ever again!” shouted Eren, slamming his fist onto the table.

 

“Eren, calm down,” said Carla calmly, rubbing Eren’s back. “It’s fine. Mikasa and I will handle it, don’t worry. In fact, I’m proud of you, Eren. You healed someone, even knowing people would hate you. I’m proud to have you as a son.”

Eren turned his head to look at his Mother. “Really?”

 

“Of course,” Carla answered, kissing the top of his head. “Besides, we have guests in the house. And you met some new friends today, as well. It wasn’t all bad, was it?”  


Eren smiled and shook his head. “They even saw me use magic, and they weren’t afraid.”

 

_But why?_

 

It was at this moment Mikasa walked into the room. “I heard that. Eren, you know you shouldn’t use your magic outside of the village.”

 

“Mikasa, if you saw someone in pain and could use magic, you’d have a hard time ignoring them, too.”

 

Mikasa opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Carla. “Now, now, you two, don’t fight. The stall will be fine. But maybe one of us should go with Eren the next time he decides to sell.”

 

“Fine,” mumbled Eren, though he was soon snapped out of his grumpy mood when he saw his newfriends walk into the kitchen.

 

“Thank you so much for the hospitality, Ma’am. We can’t thank you enough,” said Armin, bowing.

 

“What a polite young boy. I can see why Eren has taken a liking to you all,” said Carla.

 

Eren’s cheeks went red. “Mum…”

 

“Who are you people?” Mikasa suddenly spoke, surprising the trio.

 

“We’re citizens from Maria,” answered Levi.

 

“Your clothes look filthy. What do you want with Eren?”

 

“ _Mikasa!_ ” scolded Carla, casting her a glare.

 

“It’s fine, ma’am. If you must know, we’re from the Underground,” said Levi, staring at Mikasa with as much intensity as she was staring at him.

 

“The place where the homeless people live?”

 

“You guys are homeless?” asked Eren, standing up to examine their clothes. He didn’t really notice before, but their clothes were patched and dirty, even ripped in places. 

 

“Yes, but we manage to get by. We’re actually going to see Count Kenny to speak to him about the taxes, and Eren helped us come to this village to rest,” said Hanji.

 

Mikasa stared at each one of them for a while before speaking again. “I don’t trust you.”

 

“What is this? Are we assassins or something?” asked Levi sarcastically, earning snorts from all around the room.

 

Mikasa’s nostrils flared. “Whatever. If you hurt Eren, I’ll slice you.”

 

“Trust me, we wouldn’t hurt Eren. He’s a sweetie!” said Hanji, smiling softly at Eren.

 

“Mikasa, stop questioning them. They’re hungry and tired.”

“Oh!” Carla suddenly exclaimed. “Eren’s right, you must be starving! I’ll fix you all up some nice, hot stew!”

 

~

 

After a delicious dinner and more glares from Mikasa, Eren and his new friends sat on the front porch of his house, watching the stars.

 

“Hey, can I ask you guys something?” said Eren.

 

The trio nodded. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why aren’t you afraid of me?”

 

Levi and Hanji casted each other knowing looks before nodding. Hanji spoke up. “Okay, we’ll tell you. When Levi and I were around Armin’s age, we had a friend in the Underground who we relied on. His name was Erwin. He was strong, fearless and kind, the perfect leader. But…he also had your illness. He helped us until the very end, until he drew his last breath in front of us. Not long after that, we met Armin, and took him under our wing. We owe Erwin for a lot of things. He would heal anyone that got hurt, even if it meant people throwing rocks at him and fighting him. He fought for us until he couldn’t stand.”

 

“Wow…” whispered Eren.

 

“That’s why we’re not afraid of you. We know people like you are not harmful to the world. You’re not a curse or a poison, but a blessing, if anything. It’s awful that people can’t see that,” continued Hanji while Levi nodded. “And, you’re really adorable and sweet, too,” she added, while Levi laughed at Eren’s face, which now resembled a tomato.

 

“Thank you for telling me that. It’s really nice to have people that aren’t afraid of you.”

 

Armin suddenly stood up, walking over to Eren and hugging him tightly. “You’re not alone, Eren. Once we come back from our trip, we’ll visit you all the time.”  


Eren smiled, patting Armin on the back. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.” _Oh, that’s right…you have to leave tomorrow…._

 

Eren remembered this fact, and realised what he wanted to do. “Can I show you guys something before you leave?”

 

“Sure,” answered Hanji cheerfully.

 

“We have to hurry, though. They only bloom at night.”

 

“You’re taking us to see some flowers?” scoffed Levi.

 

Eren punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t be such an asshole, grump,” he replied jokingly. “And, yes. I really want to show them to you guys. They’re important to me. Please?”

 

The trio looked at each other before nodding and smiling at Eren. “Okay.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd appreciate if anyone pointed out any mistakes. If you have any questions or ever notice any plotholes, please inform me. I'll do my best to answer and fix it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should tell you all about my update schedule. I really don’t have one, but sometimes a chapter might take a week, it might take a month, it depends on how I’m feeling. It flatters me that some of you are so eager for a new chapter, though, aha XD Also, WOW. Thank you everyone who has given this a chance. You are too kind to me. I always feel really good after kind comments and encouragement, you guys are so awesome <3 You make me cry. Anyway, when Eren shows the trio the flowers in this scene, it’s sort of an EXACT copy of the scene in the game this is inspired from, ‘Eternal Sonata’. I couldn’t help it. The scene is just too beautiful and expands the reader’s understanding of Eren’s character greatly. And I think it would be a bit more enjoyable if you listened to the first song of the game’s OST (you can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GYgWy1nqXs) while reading the flower scene. It adds more emotional affect. It’s also an absolutely gorgeous song. Ugh, I sound so gay…mind you, I am, lmao XD That’s right, I am a gay guy. I am proud to say that on here, because I don’t see a lot of other ones :P ALSO! Armin has a little crush on Eren in this story. I promise nothing will happen between them, though. Age difference, for starters, and Eren feels nothing more than a platonic love towards him. I just thought the idea of Armin liking him would be totally adorable. He’ll get over it soon enough, though. Okay, this is getting way too long. Just…I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you, my precious people :D

 Eren sat up, grinning in excitement. “Awesome! I think you guys will like them. They’re my favourite flowers. For personal reasons.”

 

“Well, where are they?” asked Levi.

“In a little field, just under ten minutes away from the village. I go there most nights to think.”

 

“Well, I think the idea of flowers blooming only at night is interesting. Thanks for offering to show them to us,” said Armin.

 

Eren smiled softly at Armin, ruffling his hair. “They’re really beautiful, in my opinion, anyway, so if someone got the chance to see them, I’d like to think they’d take it. Though…they’re a lot like me, in a way.”

 

“What do you mean by that?” questioned Levi, looking confused.

 

“I’ll explain it to you when we get there. Come on, let’s go! I’m so excited to show these flowers to other people outside the village.”

 

Levi, Armin and Hanji started following Eren, who was leading them towards a little pathway at the left of the village. “Do the flowers only grow around here?” asked Hanji.

 

Eren nodded his head. “I’m pretty sure. I remember my Mum telling me that they don’t grow anywhere else.”

 

“Wow, these flowers seem really interesting. Are they really as beautiful as you say they are?” said Armin, walking just a little bit ahead of Levi and Hanji due to excitement.

 

“I don’t think words can really describe them.”

 

~

 

Eren pushed past the leaves, revealing a field almost the size of Shiganshina, “Here we are.”

 

The other three followed closely behind, eyes widening at the sight before them. Dozens of purple flowers yet to blossom lay scattered across the land, creating a stream of endless petals in every direction. “They should be blossoming any minute now,” said Eren as the rest of his friends stood next to him, watching the first flower start to blossom.

 

The flower opened, bright spots of pink light emitting from its center and floating across the starry sky. Other flowers opened, the same light swarming and engulfing the sky in a beautiful embrace. Armin and Hanji gasped as Levi’s eyes widened, taking in the surreal sight before them.

 

“I told you words couldn’t describe them.”

 

“What are they?” whispered Hanji, voice almost inaudible in awe.

 

“They’re called Heaven’s Mirror,” answered Eren, looking at the flower’s light, like a reflection of the starry sky on the meadows. “When the sun is up, they stay in their buds, but they’re able to absorb sunlight with their leaves. And after night falls, they let out all the light they’ve stored, when they blossom.” Eren scanned the area once more, entranced, as always, by the everlasting beauty the place possessed. “It always happens at exactly two o’clock in the morning.”

 

“They’re…beautiful. Absolutely stunning…” said Armin, after he took in what Eren had said with delighted interest. 

 

“But they’re also called death lights,” said Eren suddenly, in an unusual voice of seriousness that  made the trio stop admiring the flowers to look at him. 

 

“ _Death lights_?” spoke Levi, astounded that flowers so beautiful could have been graced with such a name. 

 

“The sun brings life, but the dark brings death. And these flowers bloom in the darkness. So, darkness is evil, light is good. Whether you guys want to call them Heaven’s mirror or Death lights is up to you.” The three knew immediately that calling these wondrous flowers “Death lights” was out of the question. “But, I guess nowadays, pretty much everyone that has heard of them has taken to calling them Death lights.”

 

Eren’s voice was still serious, face stiff. “Long ago, it was thought they looked like the light that guided people to death, since they blossom the opposite of regular flowers. Even now, a lot of people don’t like these flowers. To many, they’re still considered a bad omen.” Eren paused, his expression going from one of no emotion to one full of sorrow and despair. “That’s also… how they think of me.”

 

The trio looked down, affected by the words Eren had said. Why did someone so full of life, so cheerful, someone like Eren have to be cursed with such a fate? Why couldn’t people see that people like him were no harm?

 

“This is why they’re personal to me. They represent me and what other people think of me. They remind me that I’m not the only one in this world who’s misunderstood.” Eren, in the blink of an eye, turned around, cheerful again. “So, do you guys like ‘em?”

 

“They really are amazing,” said Levi, placing his hand on Eren’s shoulder. “You’re not alone, Eren. We may not be in the same situation as you, but we’re grateful we met you today. You’re a good person, and we are here for you.” Eren blinked. This was not like Levi at all. Levi wasn’t mean, but he certainly wasn’t the type of person to give cheesy speeches.

 

“Thank you. I’m grateful that I met you all, too.” He and Levi looked at each other for a short while before Eren declared that it was getting really late, and that the other three would want to set off as early as possible tomorrow.

 

None of the trio could shake off the feeling that when they continued travelling without Eren, something would feel missing.

 

 

 

~

 

 

Levi, Hanji and Armin were in the guest room that Carla had provided for them, Hanji sitting on the bed, Armin laying down his sleeping back and Levi leaning backwards against the door, arms folded. “Who’d have thought we’d meet someone like Eren on our trip,” said Hanji thoughtfully, resting her head on a pillow. “I really hate the thought of leaving him here. I-”

 

“Hanji, don’t you dare even suggest we take him with us. Yes, he’s our friend, but he has mageceumia, he’s fragile. Taking him with us would put him in potential danger,” Levi stated.

 

Hanji sighed in defeat. “Fine. I wanna spend a little time with him in the morning before we go, though,” she said, pouting.

 

Levi nodded while Armin stood up. “We can stay for a little bit in the morning!? Oh, yes! I really like Er-” Armin stopped talking, face going beet red.

 

“Wait…AWWWWW!” Hanji squealed, taking Armin in her arms and squeezing the life out of him. “Our wittle baby Armin has a crush on sweetie Eren!”  


“I don’t have a crush on him…” Armin mumbled into her neck, though the blush still colouring his cheeks gave himself away.

 

“Sure you don’t. Anyway, Armin, I hate to break it to ya, but he’s fifteen, and you’re twelve. No chance,” Levi deadpanned.

 

Armin huffed in annoyance. “I know that. I just think he’s really cute, okay? Leave me alone.” Armin shut off the lights, shuffling into his sleeping bag.

 

Levi didn’t acknowledge it, but when Armin said those words, he felt something almost like jealousy pang in his chest.

 

~

 

In the morning, Eren sat in the kitchen, eating his bread in a depression. How long would he get to see Levi, Hanji and Armin for before they left? No more than an hour, probably. He sighed to himself. Right when he had found friends, they had to leave. It wasn’t fair. Nothing ever was.

 

His head popped up at the sound of a bedroom door opening, and the trio walked into the kitchen, smelling the scent of bread and inhaling it with enthusiasm. “You guys sure like bread, huh?” Eren lured them back to their senses, and they scratched the backs of their necks, embarrassed by their show of uncivilness. 

  
“S - sorry, Eren. It’s just, we don’t eat a lot in the Undeground. We even have to-” Armin, for the millionth time in two days, cut himself off.

 

“What do you guys have to do?” The three of them looked at the floor, looking ashamed. “Come on, guys. I promise I won’t judge you. We’re friends, right? I’m here for you, too.”

 

Eren’s little speech cheered them up a little. “We have to steal bread to survive,” said Levi.

 

“That’s it? I completely understand that. From the way you were acting, I thought you were gonna say you were cannibals or something,” said Eren, giggling a little bit.

 

“Of course we’re not cannibals, you little shit,” replied Levi, smacking Eren gently on the forehead.

 

“Do you guys want breakfast? We have a whole basket of bread in the cupboard.”

 

“Oh, thank you for finally offering! I’m so famished…” said Hanji dramatically, racing to the cupboard and pulling out the basket Eren mentioned. She took a couple of pieces of bread, chewing them and swallowing with satisfied groans.

“You sound like a god damn pig,” said Levi, reaching for a piece of bread himself and eating it in a more sophisticated manner.

 

Armin just giggled, taking his own piece. “When are you guys leaving?” asked Eren, suddenly interested in the table below him.

 

“We actually don’t want to leave straight away. We just met you, after all, it’s way too soon to leave without getting to know you better,” said Hanji, face dirtied with bread crumbs.

 

Eren’s eyes lit up, though as much as he wanted his new friends to stay, he was realising something they had not. “But the next village isn’t somewhere you could get to in half a day. I don’t think you guys want to be camping out at night.”

 

“Trust me, we’ve survived much worse than that. There’s no need to worry your pretty head about us,” replied Hanji.

 

Eren’s worries went away, happiness replacing them. “Okay. So, is there anything in particular that you all want to do?”

 

“Well, are there any other sights here worth seeing apart from the flowers you showed us?” asked Levi.

 

“Not really. Maybe we could just have lunch by the river…?”

 

Hanji grinned. “That sounds like a brilliant idea.”

 

~

 

The four sat by the river that split the village in two, munching happily on bread, fruit and other food that Levi, Armin and Hanji considered extremely rare.

 

“Eren, what’s this?” asked Armin, pointing to a bar of a brown colour and hard texture in the lunch basket.

 

Eren mentally gasped, but kept it to himself. “It’s chocolate,” he answered, breaking off a piece. “It’s delicious. Would you like some?”

 

Armin nodded sheepishly. “Thank you,” he replied, taking the chocolate and taking a bite. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he made a noise of complete satisfaction.

 

“Armin’s having a foodgasm,” said Levi bluntly.

 

Eren burst out in laughter. “Jesus, Levi. Anyway, Armin, I told you it was good, didn’t I?”

 

Armin didn’t reply, too lost in utter bliss. “OOOH! I WANNA TRY SOME!” screamed Hanji, rushing over to the basket and biting a large piece of chocolate. She rolled her head back, and fell onto the floor with a thud. “HOOOOOLY SHIIIIIIIT! THIS IS AMAZIIIIIIING!”

 

“Levi? You wanna try some?” asked Eren, giggling at Hanji’s reaction.

 

“Why not?” Levi replied, reaching for some chocolate himself and taking a small bite. “Jesus…,” he muttered, stuffing the whole bar into his mouth in a couple of seconds.

 

“You know, once Armin and Hanji are down from their highs, they’ll murder you. You just ate the whole bar,” said Eren to Levi.

 

Levi’s eyes widened in shock. “What? I did?”

 

“Yes,” Eren chuckled.

 

And then, with Levi’s next words, Eren’s heart stopped. “I think we should have to be going, now.” Then, Levi smiled the first real, genuine smile Eren had seen him smile. “It was really nice meeting you, Eren. When we get back, we’ll visit you as much as we can.”

 

Though Eren wanted anything but for them to leave, he knew this time would come eventually, and he had prepared for it. “Okay. My Mum will make you some food and give you some water before you leave. I’m gonna go look at the flowers for a little bit, make sure you don’t leave until I come back, okay?” said Eren, with a puppy face that Levi was unable to resist.

 

“Okay. Don’t take too long, though,” he said.

 

Eren watched as the trio left towards his house, and took it as the cue to go look at the flowers. _Even when they’re not blooming, they’re my haven._

 

He set off towards the path, before noticing two travellers entering the village, one of them limping. The other one seemed to be looking around in panic, probably worrying about their injured partner. Eren ran towards them. “Does your friend need help?” he asked.

 

“Yes. Do you have a doctor here?” the traveler replied.

 

“No, but…”

 

“But what?”

 

“I can heal him,” Eren answered. _Shit, shit, shit, why are you doing this, Eren, you stupid fucking idiot-_

 

Before Eren knew it, he was on his knees, green light radiating from his hand and spreading throughout the man’s injured knee. And, after Eren had finished, he received a blinding kick to the face. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, freak!? Like hell we’re staying here for the night!” the now recovered man yelled, tugging on his partner’s hand forcefully and heading towards the exit.

 

Eren stayed on the floor, face looking down at his knees, with the same emotionless expression he had when telling the others about the flowers. Nothing. He felt nothing. Not pain, not sadness, not happiness, just…

 

a painless but excruciating emptiness. He stood up slowly, and ran at the pace of lighting to his house, rushing past Levi, Hanji and Armin (“Eren! Wha-?”), and retreating behind his room, locking his door.

 

He turned on his music box, putting on _his_ song. This particular song. for some reason, Eren liked to listen to when he was going through tough times. The song felt like part of him. He sat down on his bed as the lyrics started, a burning sensation tingling at the corners of his eyes.

 

_“It was like a nightmare…_

_And it’s pain for me,_

_Because nobody wants to die too fast…_

_Remember the day of grief?_

_Now it’s strange for me…_

_I could see your face,_

_I could hear your voice…_

_Remember the day we met?_

_And it’s pain for me…_

_Because nobody wants to die too fast…_

_Remember the day we dreamt?_

_Now it’s pain for me…_

_I could see your face, i could hear your voice…”_

 

Eren’s eyes were dry and stinging, worn out from the sobs that were now stains on his silky sheets.

 

_“Can’t look back…_

_They will not come back…_

_Don’t be afraid…_

_It’s time after time…_

_So once again, I’m hiding in my room…_

_The peaceful times are what make us blind…._

_“See, you can’t fly if you never try,” you told me, oh long ago…_

_But you left the wall,_

_Outside the gate,_

_And more than ever it’s real…_

_It was like a nightmare,_

_And it’s pain for me_

_Because nobody wants to die too fast…_

_Remember the day we dreamt?  
Now it’s strange for me,_

_I could see your face, I could hear your voice…_

_Remember the day we met?_

_And it’s pain for me,_

_Because nobody wants to die too fast…_

_Remember the day we dreamt?_

_And it’s pain for me…_

_I could see you face, I could hear your voice…”_

 

Eren slowly raised himself, turning off the music box, face wet and stained with tears.

_All I know how to do is pity myself._

_I want to do something good with this power._

_Something really good._

_I want to change the world for the better._

_Fix poverty, fix the wars, take away the pain people like my friends have to face._

_Even if I turn out to be a failure in the end…_

_At least I can say I tried._

_At least I can say I stood strong, looked past the ignorance of the people on this earth…_

_And tried to help them._

 

Eren wiped his face with his sleeves, and opened his door. He slowly stood towards the kitchen, and saw his Mother.

 

Mikasa.

 

Levi.

 

Hanji.

 

Armin.

_I want to make this world better for everyone. Levi, Hanji and Armin are a prime example of how fucking cruel this world, is, and I will try my fucking hardest to do something with my curse._

 

Eren looked the trio in the eyes one by one. “I’m going with you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO the song Eren was listening to is Reluctant Heroes XD This is the version he was listening to, it’s so beautiful (wipes tear): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOFhatyCEhQ  
> I love you all, and may I thank W84U in particular for encouraging me <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I = very sorry for late update yah. I did say it may take a while sometimes, though. I fucking HATE writer’s block. It’s the worst thing in existence after people who stereotype the Harry Potter houses.  
> Also hooray for stealing plot ideas from the manga yay  
> I hope you enjoy the chapter! =)

Eren waited for a reply. From _anyone_. But all he was faced with were shocked expressions, until someone spoke up after about a minute of awkward silence.

 

“What?” asked Mikasa so quietly that Eren almost didn’t acknowledge it.

 

“I said, I’m going with Levi, Hanji and Armin,” Eren replied firmly.

 

Mikasa’s fists were shaking, hands and face going red. “You are not.” There was a tone of finality in her face that would have frightened Eren if he wasn’t dead set on this decision.

 

“Mikasa, please. You don’t understand,” Eren pleaded with glassy eyes.

 

“Eren, I swear to god, do you have _any_ idea-”

 

“Mikasa, let me talk to Eren for a little bit,” interrupted Carla, resting a hand on Mikasa’s shoulder. 

 

“Fine, but please talk some sense into him,” whispered Mikasa before rushing to her own room, her  signature red scarf blowing while she ran.

 

“Eren, come with me,” said Carla, making her way over to her bedroom, Eren following. They entered, and Carla sat on the bed, patting the space next to her. “Why exactly do you want to go with them?”

 

Eren sighed and sat down. ‘It’s complicated, Mum. The simplest answer that I can give you is that I want to help people. Those three…they’re homeless, Mum. If I go with them to speak to the Count, I could use my magic to help them. I want to do something good with my life with the little time I have left to live. _Please,_ Mum, I know that I seem like some fragile bird, but I’m not. I literally just got kicked in the face-”

 

“Wait, what?” Carla sat up to examine Eren’s face, noticing that his nose was slightly swollen. “Do I have to ask why you were kicked?” she said, looking at Eren sadly.

 

“I tried to use my magic to help…,” Eren replied.

 

“Do you see now why this might not be a very good idea?”

 

“Mum-”

 

“But I’m not going to try and stop you.” Eren froze.

 

“What?” 

 

“This is something you’re deciding for yourself, Eren. You only have three years at most left, and it hurts me everyday to think of that. But, if you can be brave about that, so can I. I have to be. If you want to do something with your life, then no way in hell am I stopping you. You deserve the chance that everybody else has.”

 

Eren’s eyes were shining with unshed tears, and he hugged his Mother tightly, burying his face in her neck. “Thank you so much, Mum,” he whispered.

 

Carla patted his back, enjoying the personal contact she rarely got with her son. “You know, Mikasa’s not going to be very happy about this.”

 

Eren chuckled. “I’m sure she’ll understand if I just talk to her. You understood, after all.”

 

Carla gave Eren one last squeeze before releasing him. “Go talk to her now,” she said, opening the bedroom door. Eren nodded, determined to make his sister understand. Though he didn’t show it a lot, Mikasa meant more than words could describe to Eren. During the times he was more alone than ever, she was always there, and the last thing he wanted was for her to be angry at him before he left.

 

~

 

 

“Mikasa? Are you in there? Can I come in?” After a few more seconds of no answer, Eren raised his hand to knock again before the door opened, revealing a tear-stained Mikasa (she was obviously trying to hide the fact she had been crying with her scarf, but Eren just _knew_.) 

“Are you going?” she said, almost silently, eyes focused on the floor.

 

Eren had also taken a sudden interest to the floor. “Yes,” he answered. His gaze was still plastered below him, until he saw a tear drop onto the wood. He immediately looked up, shocked to see Mikasa’s eyes drowning in a glistening sea of tears. He reached out to hug her, but she stopped him in his tracks, placing a hand on his chest.

 

“Don’t touch me,” she said quietly.

 

“Mikasa, please…,” Eren pleaded.

 

“Don’t give me your “Mikasa, please” shit, Eren. Just…don’t. I can’t even look you in the face right now.”

 

“But why, Mikasa!? Mum can be happy for me, why can’t you be!? I just want to do something with my life before I die!”

 

“Of course I want you to do something with your life, Eren. But disregarding everyone who’ve always been by your side…”

 

“What?”

 

“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE FOR YOU, EREN!” Mikasa shouted suddenly, startling Eren. “THROUGH ALL OF THE SHIT YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH, I’VE BEEN HERE FOR YOU! AND…” Mikasa trailed off, fists shaking.

 

“…You’re the only person who’s ever been there for me, too. After that day…”  A mere whisper. “And, now, you’re leaving. Like your family isn’t important to you! You only have three years left, Eren! You could die on this trip! And I’ll never get to see you again! And you don’t seem to care about that! Am I really that unimportant to you?”

 

Eren shook his head vigorously. “No, Mikasa, you’re one of the most important people in my life!”

 

“WELL, I’M HAVING A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT RIGHT NOW!”

 

“The reason I’m trying so hard here is because you’re important! You think that I don’t love you!? I do! More than anything! The last thing I want before I leave is for you to hate me! This is something I’m doing with my life, Mikasa! It gives it meaning! It’s something I’ve decided for myself! I won’t let this disease limit what I can do!”

 

Mikasa said nothing, though tears were still running down her cheeks. “This trip isn’t some trek into a war zone, Mikasa. I’m not doing to die. I won’t die. I refuse to die. I’m not going to let myself die until the world decides to take me itself. I will see you again. I would fight death myself if it meant seeing you one last time.”

 

“Remember when you gave me this scarf?”

 

Eren blinked. That was an odd question. But yes, he certainly did remember when he gave Mikasa that scarf.

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

~

 

**Five Years Ago**

 

“Now, Eren, Kyle is a very close friend of mine. He’s very sick, so while I talk to him, do you think you could try and get along with his little sister, Mikasa?”

“Okay, Mummy.” Little, 10 - year old Eren nodded his head. Carla knocked on the door, carrying a basket of bread and chocolate.

 

The door opened to reveal little Mikasa, eyeing the two. “Hello, Miss Yeager,” she said quietly.

 

Carla flashed a smile. “Hello, Mikasa. Do you think you could take me to Kyle?”

 

Mikasa gave a small nod of her head, glanced at Eren for a second, and led the two to her brother’s bedroom. “He’s in here,” she said, opening the door.

 

A young adult with a sickly pale complexion and dark hair lay on the bed, eyes hooded and hands hanging limp. His head slowly rose up when Carla walked in. “Hello, Carla.” His eyes moved to Eren. “Oh, you must be Eren. It’s very nice to meet you.” His voice was hoarse, and it seemed like every action he took caused him pain, but he stuck out his hand to shake Erens.

 

“Hello, sir,” Eren replied. “How come I’ve never met you before?”

 

“Well, I just met your Mother a couple of weeks ago, actually. She’s been very kind to me. You’re lucky to have her.”

 

Eren giggled, looking at Carla with adoring eyes. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

 

Carla ruffled Eren’s hair before placing the basket on Kyle’s bed. “Eren, do you think you could go and play with Mikasa while I talk to Kyle?”

 

“Okay, Mummy.” He looked over to Mikasa. “I know what we can play! Come on, Mikasa!” He grabbed her hand enthusiastically, leading her out of the room and into the garden, slamming the door shut behind him.

 

“He certainly is an energetic child for his condition,” said Kyle, taking a loaf of bread and nibbling on it. “Thanks for this, Carla. Love your bread. Nice to have it one last time before I go.”

 

Carla took his hand, clutching it tightly. “Don’t be silly. There’s no need to thank me.” She looked out of Kyle’s window, noticing that Eren was showing Mikasa some of his magic. “You remind me of Eren. It’s a shame that people as good and pure as you have to leave so early.” A tear slowly fell down her left eye.

 

“Don’t worry, Carla. I enjoyed my time. Mikasa’s brought me more joy than anything. I’ve lived a good life. Doctor said I should be going some time today, though. Thank you for offering to take Mikasa in. It means the world to me.”

 

‘I’ll stay right here by your side until that time.” She managed a soft smile. “Mikasa seems very sweet. It’s an honour for you to trust me with her. You’ve been an amazing friend for the past few weeks. It would have been nice if I got to enjoy your company for a little longer.”

 

“I’m just grateful I got to meet you,” said Kyle. “I’m glad Eren and Mikasa seem to be getting along.”

 

“I knew they would. Eren wants to be friends with everyone.”

 

~

 

“See? Pretty cool, huh?” Eren sprayed water from his hand, putting out the small fire he had formed on the grass.

Mikasa nodded. “My brother can do things like that, too.”

 

Eren’s eyes moved to Mikasa immediately. “Really!? He has mageceumia, too!?”

 

“I’m pretty sure that’s what it is, yes.”

 

“Do you think he would let me do some magic with him!?”

 

Mikasa shook her head, keeping her gaze on the grass below her. “He’s not strong enough to do magic anymore. The doctor said he’s going to die today.” She sniffed. “I wish he could stay.”

 

“Oh.” Eren deflated. “That’s going to happen to me someday, too. I prefer not to think about that, though. But, hey, my Mum told me that you’re coming to live with us. I’ll be your friend!”

 

Mikasa smiled the tiniest bit. “Yeah…,” she said, quiet as a shadow. 

 

Eren noticed that she was shivering. It was pretty cold outside. “Are you cold?” he asked.

 

Mikasa folded her arms and nodded her head once.

 

Eren took the red scarf he was wearing off his neck. “It’s not much, but it should keep you a little warmer.” He wrapped it around Mikasa’s neck carefully, until the scarf covered her whole face, only leaving her forehead bare. Eren giggled. “At least your face is warm.”

 

Mikasa reached her hand up to slip down the scarf, a happy glint in her eyes. “Yeah.”

 

~

 

“Eren, Mikasa, come back inside!” called Carla with puffy eyes.

 

Eren and Mikasa complied, racing to the doorway. “How’s my brother?” asked Mikasa.

 

The atmosphere turned tense, and Carla gave Mikasa solemn look. “I’m very sorry, Mikasa,” she said.

 

Mikasa’s shoulders sagged. “Oh…”

 

Carla placed a hand on Mikasa’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “It’s okay, Miss Yeager, really. I knew this day would come eventually.”

 

“It’s okay to be sad, you know,” said Eren. “I wish I could have done some magic with him.”

 

“Can I see him one last time?” asked Mikasa, voice muffled through her new scarf. 

 

“Of course you can,” said Carla sweetly, taking Mikasa’s hand. They walked to the bedroom slowly, and Carla opened the door to reveal Kyle, who appeared peaceful and content.

 

Mikasa went over to him, and wrapped her hands around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. “Bye, brother. I love you lots,” she said, clinging onto him tightly.

 

“Am I going to look like this, Mum?” asked Eren quietly.

 

Carla’s breath halted. “This isn’t going to happen to you for a while, Eren. Don’t worry about it, not yet.”

Mikasa released Kyle’s body from her hold. “I’m ready to go, Miss Yeager,” she said.

 

Eren walked over to her, and took her hand. “It’s okay, Mikasa. You’re not alone. We’re your family, now.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

And so, Mikasa left with her newfound family, embracing the warmth of Eren’s hand like a lifeline. 

 

~

 

**Back to Present**

 

“After my brother died, you and Carla were the only people I had left. You _are_ the only people I have left. I’m just…I’m scared. I’m so scared that I’ll end up alone again.”

 

“Mikasa, even if I did die, you wouldn’t be alone. You’d have Mum.”

 

“No, Eren, you don’t understand. Of course I’d have her. But, you’re different. Everyone was afraid of me, because of what my brother was. But then, I met you. You’re so much like my brother, but I don’t see you as a replacement of him. You’re my friend. You’ve always been my only friend. I love Carla unconditionally, but you’re _different_ , Eren.”

 

“Oh, Mikasa…,” said Eren, playing with the ends of the loose red scarf. “I feel the same way. You’ve always been my only friend, too. I guess that because I found new ones, I was so excited to have people that didn’t hate me, I completely disregarded you. I’m so sorry.”

 

“There’s no use apologising, Eren. It won’t change the fact that I might never see you again. Just be careful out there, okay? The world’s a cruel place. I love you, you goddamn idiot. Try your best not to die for me, yeah?”

 

Eren hugged her tightly. “I promise, I’ll do my best not to die. I love you, too.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

_But what if something does happen to me out there?_

 

_Never seeing Mikasa again…_

 

_That is not an option._

 

“You’re coming with me.”

 

Mikasa stepped backwards, staring with a shocked expression at Eren. “What?”

 

“I need you by my side, Mikasa. I’m hopeless without you. If you’re with me, it lowers my chance of getting into trouble.” Eren grinned and Mikasa snickered. “Never seeing you again is not an option. Please come with me?”

 

“What about Carla?”

 

“Oh, Mum? She’ll be fine. You know for a fact that she can handle herself perfectly well. Pleeeease, Mikasa?”

 

“How can I say no when you’re looking at me like that?” said Mikasa. Eren didn’t answer, he just kept looking at her with wide eyes and a pout. “Okay, okay, I’ll go with you.”

Eren fist-pumped. “Yes! Come on, let’s go tell Mum!”

 

~

 

“Are you ready to go, Eren?” asked Carla as her son and adoptive daughter walked into the room, Eren’s new friends waiting patiently by the counters.

 

“Um, about that…,” muttered Eren, moving his foot side to side.

 

Carla grinned. “Mikasa’s going with you, isn’t she? I knew this would happen, don’t worry. I made extra food.”

 

“Are you sure you’re going to be all right by yourself?” asked Mikasa.

 

“Come on, Mikasa, you know me. I’m a trooper. I’ll be absolutely fine. Just make sure Eren stays out of trouble for me, Okay?”

 

‘Hey!” shouted Eren, crossing his arms and wearing an angry pout.

 

“Of course I will,” said Mikasa, patting Eren’s head lovingly.

 

“And you three,” said Carla, giving the big basket of food to Hanji (who eyed it hungrily), “look after my babies, okay?”

 

“Of course we will, M’am,” reassured Levi. “We sort of have to, ya know. We didn’t even know they’d be coming until ten minutes ago…”

 

Eren scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I didn’t really give you a chance to say yes or no, did I? Oh well. My magic will be useful to you, anyway,” he said, flattening out Levi’s hair with a simple swipe of his hand.

 

“Never had someone fix my hair with magic before…”

 

“Well, Eren does all of our hair with his magic all the time. I’ll have to do it myself now that he’s going.”

 

“You’ll be fine, Mum,” said Eren, picking a few stray strands from Carla’s hair with his magic. “Come on, let’s go!”  


Carla walked the five to the door, and watched them as they left the village. 

 

Eren was finally doing something that he _wanted_ to do.

 

And Carla couldn’t be prouder.

 

_Please, just stay safe. That’s all I ask._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mikasa is my new favourite character in my own fic XD Uggggh Mikasa and Eren’s relationship I love it so much <33333 Their friendship is so strong. So, now we have five on a dangerous (oops, did I say dangerous? I wasn’t supposed to spoil it too early!) quest. This is where the real fun begins. Get ready for the ride! :D
> 
> As usual, It'd be great if anyone pointed out mistakes or plot holes. Thank you for reading this crappy story :P


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I have returned. I'm so sorry for my absence, I just got distracted with loads of shit. I got Tales of Zestiria on release day so that slowed me down, then I started reading the Walking Dead comics and it all just made me forget about this. But, I have managed, and I'm going to try really hard to get the next chapter out early for multiple reasons. You'll see.

“So you don’t know how you ended up in the Underground in the first place?” inquired Mikasa, nibbling at a tiny piece of bread.

 

“Well, yeah,” replied Hanji, crossing her arms and looking up, almost as if she was proud of what she was saying. “I’ve been living there for as long as I can remember. Levi, too. I guess my parents didn’t want me or something.”  


“Oh.” Mikasa’s head fell down, and she was left staring at the grass. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

 

“Nah, ah, ah!” Hanji suddenly exclaimed, wiggling her finger and pressing it to Mikasa’s lips. “I don’t like sympathy. I don’t need it! I’m a battle-hardened warrior! Look, I’ll show you!”  


Mikasa washed as Hanji ran towards Levi and kicked him in the back, sending him flying forwards. “HANJI, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!?” Levi yelled, as he rubbed at his back and chased after Hanji at the same time.

 

“See!?” Hanji waved and winked at Mikasa. “Told you that I was battle-hardened!”

 

Eren could only snort, while Armin looked at them with a knowing expression and Mikasa stood, dumbfounded.

 

~

 

“Alright, place your fist like that, right leg forward, yes, that’s it…”

 

“Shouldn’t Eren be learning how to fight, too?” asked Mikasa as she was guided by Levi.

 

“He has magic.”

 

“Yes, but I’d still think it would be safer if he at least knew how to throw a punch.”

 

“I really don’t have any need for that, and I don’t feel like doing it, either. I’m fine with just magic. See?” Eren said as he launched fireballs from his hand.

 

“Careful, Eren!” shouted Armin. “We’re literally surrounded by grass!”

 

“I can put fire out, too…”

Levi snorted while guarding Mikasa’s punches. “I think that’s enough proof that Eren doesn’t need to do this.”

 

“ _I_ don’t need to do it. I’ve had combat training before.”

 

“Who did you learn it from?”

 

“My brother,” answered Mikasa, unconsciously tugging at her scarf while Eren looked at her with a saddened expression.

 

“I was under the impression that Eren didn’t know how to fight.”

 

“Not Eren. My blood related brother. He’s dead now.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Hey, Levi, no sympathy! She doesn’t appreciate it!” called Hanji, munching on some chocolate.

 

“Yeah, what she said. I don’t need sympathy. Why are we training for this, anyway? It’s not like we’re going to be attacked by anyone.”

 

“You don’t know that for sure. Living in the underground taught us to always be cautious. You’re never safe.” Levi ducked one of Mikasa’s punches and swept his feet under hers, causing her to tumble to the floor with an “ _oomph_!” 

 

“See?”

 

“Yes,” said Mikasa, rising up immediately. “But we’ve been punching for an hour now, and it’s getting dark. Can we try some leg work before we set up camp?”

 

“Tomorrow morning, maybe.” Levi carefully inspected the area, looking for a good spot to set up camp. “Armin, how far have we walked from Shiganshina?”

 

“Well, its been around five hours since we left. It’s around 7pm now, so it’d probably be best to settle down for the night.”

 

“Okay…what’s our next destination?”

 

“Agogo village. But we’ll need to walk through Agogo forest to get there, so we should make sure we have everything organized before we set out tomorrow morning.”

 

Levi nodded. “Why the name “Agogo”?”

 

Armin scavenged through his bag for a little while before he pulled out a book with the name “ _Villages of the world”_. He flipped towards the page he had placed a bookmark in. “I’ve been reading up on it a lot, knowing that it would be one of our first destinations. I’m honestly really excited, I mean, there’s so much-”

 

“Armin, just tell us what’s in the book,” huffed Levi, inspecting his nails.

 

“Fine,” Armin grumbled. “It says here that “ _The Agogo forest and Agogo village are directly linked to one another. The village is home to the guardian(s) of Agogo forest. The job of the guardian is to preserve peace to the forest, and protect the Agogos. The guardians are chosen by blood. If there are siblings, all of them will become guardians, and they are generally trained in combat from a young age. The forest is home to, hence its name, mysterious creatures named Agogos. They have a round shape, and are as white as pearls. They could be compared to a golf ball, of sorts. They never touch the ground - they merely float in midair. They have no limbs, and they have no eyes, mouth or ears. They’re not particularly fond of humans. The creatures are still being looked into by explorers, but no new discoveries have been made about them as of yet._ ” Armin finished reading the extract with shining eyes. “Oh, this is so exciting! I’ve always dreamt about seeing an agogo in person!”

 

“Didn’t the book say that they don’t like humans?” asked Levi.

 

“Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try and get a good look at them. Besides, my main worry would be the guardians. They might not even want people looking at the Agogos…”

 

“Well, I don’t see why visitors would be a problem,” said Hanji, jumping up and re-adjusting her glasses. “I’d quite like to see them, too. Armin isn’t the only who loves a bit of knowledge, ya know. You wouldn't understand, Levi. Your brain is smaller than _you_ , and that’s saying something.”

 

Eren, Armin and Mikasa clasped their hands over their mouths to stifle their laughs as Levi’s right eye twitched. “I was more interested in surviving on those streets than reading.”

  
“Well, you have all the time in the world to read now,” said Armin, thrusting the book into Levi’s arms. “Just skim through it and find something that interests you.”

 

“Okay…” Levi opened the book and strolled over to a tree, sitting under the cooling shade.

 

“Well, while Levi’s doing his thing, let’s settle down for the night,” spoke up Hanji.

 

“I think I’m gonna go and talk to Levi for a little bit,” said Eren as the other three set up sleeping bags.

 

“You just want to get out of doing this,” said Mikasa, eyeing him with amusement. 

 

“Well, I _was_ just going to do it with my magic, but now that you’ve accused me of such a thing, I’ll let you labour.”

 

“Liar,” Mikasa laughed. “You know full well magic can’t do everything. You can’t manipulate objects.”

 

“I can manipulate you.”

 

“No, you can’t. You can only heal and manipulate the four elements and some parts of the human body, like hair.”

 

“Since when did this turn into a Magecuemia lesson?”

 

“Yo, Eren, so you can manipulate the four elements, right? Even if you can’t manipulate objects, couldn’t you use wind to move them?”

 

“You really don’t understand magic, do you, Hanji?” said Armin, smirking as he set up the last of the sleeping bags. “That being said, even if Eren could do such a thing, it would be wrong to ask him to do so. That would be taking advantage of his condition.”

 

“Thanks, Armin, but I already told you I like using my magic. I’d be using it all the time if I wasn’t so mature.” Eren puffed out his chest proudly, crossing his arms.

 

“Ha-ha-ha,” Mikasa fake laughed. “You? Mature?”

 

Eren punched her arm playfully. “I can set you on fire, you know.”

 

“I can do that with just a simple glare.”

 

“Good point,” said Eren. “Well, I’m gonna go tell Levi the sleeping bags are set. Goodnight, everyone.”

 

“Goodnight,” the other three called in unison as Eren walked over to the shade of a tree Levi was sitting in, reading.

 

“Hi, Levi,” said Eren, with a bright smile. “Whatcha doin’?”

 

“Reading. I thought we’d already established that,” Levi chuckled. “It _is_ quite interesting. It’s a shame I never really got to read much in the underground.”

 

“Well, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to read on this little adventure.” Eren sat down, inspecting the page Levi was reading. “You’re reading up on Shiganshina?”

 

“Yes.” Levi closed the book, setting it down carefully by his side. “I thought it was very pleasant. Those flowers you showed us were really a sight to see.”

  
“Weren’t they?” replied Eren, staring up at the stars in the night sky. “They always helped cheer me up. I saw myself in them, in more ways than one. It would be nice if it turned out they were in places other than Shiganshina.”

 

“Yeah, it really would be,” Levi agreed. He watched the smile on Eren’s face glow under the light of the stars, almost illuminating the area around him. “You’re a very strong person, you know?”

 

“What?” Eren blushed a bit, shaking his head slightly. “Oh, no. I’m not strong.”

 

“You are, though. You still manage to smile and cheer up those around you. You want to help everyone around you, even with your condition. You’re much stronger than me, Hanji and Armin combined.”

 

“Don’t you dare,” Eren suddenly said, staring at the floor.

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t you dare.” Eren stood up, looking at Levi with an unidentifiable emotion. “Don’t you dare tell me I’m stronger than you. You have had to live on those streets, those dangerous, unmerciful streets all your life. You’ve had to feed yourself, you’ve had to fight, you had to become an adult before anyone should. You’ve had to bare the burden of survival more than almost anyone in this world. So, don’t you _dare_ sit there and tell me you’re nothing compared to me.” Tears were now falling down Eren’s face, the moon lighting the streams flowing down his cheeks. 

 

“Eren…”

 

“I-it’s bad enough that I-I frighten other people, but - but, making other people f-feel like n-nothing is a whole d-different th-thing.”

 

“Oh, Eren, no, no,” said Levi, placing his hand on Eren’s shoulder reassuringly. “That’s not what I meant, I promise. I don’t feel like nothing, and neither does Hanji or Armin. I was just trying to explain how much we admire you…”

 

“B-but you need to r-realise you’re s-strong, too! You’re so, so strong, Levi. H-humans will never get anywhere if we just compare ourselves to others. We…we need to live for ourselves, and embrace our own strength.”

 

“Eren, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset,” said Levi, frowning and embracing Eren, patting him on the back.

 

“I-it’s okay, I know you were just trying to make me feel better about myself. But, Levi, I know I’m not weak. I just…I just can’t handle it when other people say they’re not strong. We’re _all_ strong, even if we don’t see it, or acknowledge it. The fact that you’re sitting here right now is proof of your strength.”

 

“…Yes. Yes, I suppose you’re right. Thanks, Eren.”

 

“Any time,” said Eren with a small smile. “The sleeping bags are set, by the way. ‘Night.”

 

“‘Night.”

 

~

 

Eren woke to the pleasant sounds of birds chirping and to the conversations of his companions.

 

“Morning, Eren!” Hanji strolled over to him, a loaf of bread in her hands. “You were sleeping like a log, we didn’t want to disturb you. Here’s your breakfast!”  


“Thanks, Hanji.” Eren took the bread, nibbling on it gently. “I take it you’ve all eaten?”

 

“Yeah, don’t worry about us. However…”

 

Eren stopped eating at Hanji’s “however…”. “Yes?”

 

“I may have accidentally overheard your conversation with Levi last night…”

 

“I thought you had gone to sleep?” said Eren, more in confusion than anger.

 

“Well, I _was_ planning to do that, but I like to analyse Levi’s behaviour around people. I find his social skills…fascinating.”

 

“And you wanted to talk to me about this, why…?”

 

“Oh, no, I’m not here to discuss my results with you. Though, they are interesting. I heard you say everyone in the world is strong, correct?”  


“Yeah, I think I said something like that.”

 

“Well, you’re wrong.”

 

“What?”

 

“Eren, there are a lot of strong people in this world. However, you cannot allow yourself to be blinded by sheer optimism. There are a fair collection of human beings who are weak, maybe not physically, but in their hearts, and we have to accept that. I know it’s nice to believe all humans have an ounce of strength, but some are without that luxury. I feel that you need to know that. This adventure may only be little, but we may run into some sort of trouble, and even information like this can help you in ways you yourself may not even know. I’ve faced weak people myself. And I hope, for your sake, you don’t have to.”

 

“Okay…,” Eren mumbled, shocked. He had never seen Hanji look and speak so seriously. And what she had said confused him, in ways he could not explain. 

 

_I’ve faced weak people myself. And I hope, for your sake, you don’t have to._

 

What did that mean…?

 

“I hope you weren’t freaked out by me just then, ya know. I haven’t showed my serious side to you, other than this, have I?”

 

“Huh?” Eren was snapped out of his trance by Hanji, who had now returned to her cheerful self. 

 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. We’re going to move on to Agogo forest in about an hour, by the way. Have a nice breakfast!” Hanji said, showing her white teeth in a wide smile.

 

“I will.”

 

~

 

“Well, we’re here,” said Hanji, the wooden sign next to her reading _“Agogo forest - Leads to Agogo Village, Home of the Pure”_.

 

“Finally. After hours of walking around in plain grasslands, this might be a nice change,” said Mikasa, entering the forest first.

 

“It seems much…purer than normal forests, if that makes sense. It feels like a much nicer place than the path from Maria to Shiganshina,” said Armin with bright eyes, going after Mikasa and inspecting the forest with enthusiasm.

 

Hanji squealed, presumably excited about taking a look at specimens she had never seen before.

 

 

“Weirdos…,” muttered Levi. “Come on, Eren.”

 

“Alright,” replied Eren, and the two walked into the forest together.

 

~

 

“We’re almost to the village, I can tell,” said Armin, still showing signs of excitement.

 

“This place was amazing! So much I’ve never seen before…and this is only one place! Image what the rest of the world is like!”

 

“Hanji, shut up,” said Levi, putting a hand over her mouth and inspecting the area cautiously.

 

Mikasa noticed Levi’s attitude and became weary herself. “What is it?” she asked quietly, walking over to Eren.

 

“I think I heard something,” whispered Levi. “Don’t move.”

 

“It could just be an animal-”

 

“I said _shut up_ , Hanji,” Levi hissed.

 

Before Hanji got a chance to reply, loud, aggressive voices were heard.

 

“Annie, remember, don’t kill them! We only need to see if they have it!”

 

“Damn it, Bert! So much for the surprise attack…don’t speak so loud!”

 

“You know Annie can get a bit carried away sometimes…”

 

“Whether these people live or die isn’t our priority. You better fucking hope they can’t fight back.”

 

“Mikasa, Hanji, get fucking ready. Armin, hide.” Levi whispered, and turned to face Eren, looking into his eyes. “You can either hide or fight. You have magic.”

 

“But…magic can kill people…”

 

“You heard them. Whether we live or die doesn’t matter to them. If they’re putting our lives in jeopardy, we shouldn’t be concerned about their well-being, either.”

 

Levi, too caught up in talking to Eren, didn’t notice when a short figure jumped down from the trees. He was too late to retaliate, and who now appeared to be a short, blonde woman kicked him swiftly in the face. 

 

“Guess you know how the world works…too bad you get too caught up in talking instead of focusing on your situation.”

 

“Levi!” Eren shouted, clasping his hands over his mouths. This was _his_ fault. “I…I…”

 

“Eren, this is no time for chatter! Go and hide!” screamed Mikasa, holding off a broad shouldered, brunette man who had appeared. Hanji was fighting a tall, blonde man, face in an unusually concentrated expression.

 

“Fucking hell, Bert, see how a surprise attack would have worked out for us now!?” The blonde shouted.

 

“Shut up, Reiner. The short dude’s got back up, can’t concentrate with you shouting like that,” said the short woman, dodging Levi’s punches. “Just give up,” she said, knocking a weakened Levi out after dodging a punch. “One down.”

 

The woman rushed to where Mikasa and Bert were fighting, and kicked Mikasa alongside the head, knocking her out cold. She and her companion looked over to where Hanji was fighting, noticing their Blonde friend, Reiner, had won. 

 

“There were two more of them,” said Reiner. “Annie, you look over there, and Bert, you look over there.”

 

“Found them,” said Annie immediately, looking coldly at a trembling Eren and Armin hidden in a bush. “What should we do with them? They don’t seem like they’ll put up a fight. Should we just search them?”

 

“No!” shouted Armin, shaking, standing up and trying to throw a punch at Annie.

 

Annie blocked it, looking down at him. “You’ll just make this harder, I see. I apologise in advance for this,” she said, and tripped Armin. “Little brat gets knocked out easily. You.” She looked over at Eren. “You gonna cause trouble for us?”

 

“S-stay back,” said Eren, conjuring a flame. “W-what do you want?”

 

“Magic. He’s dangerous. Take care of him, Annie,” said Reiner.

 

“If I must.” 

 

The last thing Eren saw before he blacked out was Annie’s fist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, just know, a few people will be very mad at Eren right now and will have a few questions. Fear not, those questions will eventually be answered. But, please don't be mad at Eren. He's never had to fight before and is used to being the victim, we can't expect him to be a fucking warrior, right? Well, not right now, anyway.   
> Also, I suck at writing action scenes, I know, you don't need to tell me it is horribly written :P It was really just supposed to be a major plot point, so the action really isn't the main part of the whole situation.


	6. Note: Not abandoning

I will delete this after a few day's notice so anyone that has followed this will be aware that I'm not abandoning it. I'm deleting this and rewriting it. Since the day I wrote the first chapter, my writing has improved quite a bit and I feel that the writing in this story is incredibly lackluster. I know it's fan fiction, but being a writer has always been my passion and this just isn't acceptable.  
Thanks for reading and supporting me, I hope you all will read the re write :P Oh, and the rewritten story will be extremely similar. Eren will be a little cutie pie though, extremely OOC and Levi will be his strong man. I love stories like that, so if you dislike that common trope in Levi/Eren stories, this will not be for you. I apologise.

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who those 'three kids' are? ;)  
> So? Is it okay? I'd appreciate it if anyone pointed out any mistakes to me :)


End file.
